International Be Kind to Lawyers Day by Kurt Young

So, believe it or not, there is an actual day for this.  It’s the second Tuesday in April.  And while it’s a little self-serving, we thought what a great opportunity for us to pass along a little knowledge about the law and lawyers.  

Now, I am sorry to say that shows like Suits, LA Law, Ally McBeal, the Practice, etc. are not really good portrayals of the life of a lawyer.  I really do wish I was Harvey Specter and could get my clients the kind of deals and wield the kind of power he can bring to bear.  But let’s give you a quick history of lawyers.  

The first references to law in record history appear in Ancient Egypt around 3000 BC.  These “laws” were based on Ma’at, which promotes concepts like truth, balance, order, harmony, law, morality, and justice.  The idea of a court and lawyers begins to appear in Mediaeval England and other places.  

Originally it was the King’s Court, you know those scenes in movies and TV where a king or queen on a throne and nobles, and occasionally the commoners, came to ask the monarch to intervene.  Generally you had to be a nobleman aka a knight to appear.  It was then taken down to the level just below that, or the Esquires.  And yep, we kept that one.  Lawyers use that title from time to time.  

And we brought our legal system over from our days as a British Colony.  So the common law, esquires, judges, sovereign immunity came with us when we founded the United States.  In the 1700's, lawyers and judges emerge as a profession in the United States. Early lawyers were not formally trained—instead, they would learn the trade through apprenticeship and watching court hearings. So Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr didn’t go to a law school.  That’s now about a seven year college journey. 

In 1779, the first law school—The College of William and Mary—opens in the United States and is still in operation today.  In 1844, Macon B. Allen becomes the first African-American admitted to the Bar in the United States. In 1879 Belva Lockwood becomes the first woman admitted to the Bar in the United States.  By 1900 there were approximately 114,000 lawyers in the US.  By 2022 that number, per the American Bar Association estimates. there are over 1.3 million active lawyers in the United States.

So why a day to love your lawyer?  Well here’s some statistics from studies done in the last 10 years of lawyers and law students from the American Bar Association. A survey of 3,300 law students from 15 law schools. found that 25 percent of law students are at risk for alcoholism, 
17 percent of law students suffer from depression, 37 percent of law students report mild to severe anxiety, 6 percent of law students report having suicidal thoughts in the last year.  And that doesn’t end when they become attorneys.  One study of 13,000 working lawyers found that 
28 percent lawyers suffered from depression; 19 percent of lawyers had severe anxiety; 
11.4 percent of lawyers had suicidal thoughts in the previous year

We go through training every two years that keeps us current on the law, but it also includes about 90 minutes on helping us avoid joining those statistics and there are special programs to help lawyers in substance abuse and mental health crisis.  

So, I can tell you I love my job, but it’s not an easy one.  I have to help out 300-500 of you at any given time to stay afloat.  My main area of practice, Workers’ Compensation is shrinking dramatically.  In 1997 when I moved to Toledo after practicing in Cleveland for a year and half, the largest firm who does what I do was about 16 attorneys and about 30 support staff.  That firm now has 1 full time, one part time attorney and two support staff.  The largest has 2 attorneys and about 3-4 support staff.  

They make it harder and harder to help my clients every year, the last change was just a few weeks ago which will cost my clients and me countless tens of thousands of dollars per year.  But we keep on fighting.  

What can you do to celebrate.  And no you don’t have to spend a dime.  Don’t get me wrong, I have many tokens of appreciation from clients all over my office.  But it’s not about money.  Here’s several free ways:

1. Leave your favorite lawyer a review. Positive Google reviews are critical for lawyers—in fact, the 2022 Legal Trends Report found that positive reviews are the most influential factor for consumers when hiring lawyers. We are listed on Google, Linked In, Facebook, Avvo, and others.  A good review from you helps other clients find us like you did. 
2. Consider giving the gift of a referral.  Know someone looking for help with a legal problem? Referrals are another great (and free!) gift for the lawyer in your life. The lawyer benefits from a customer referral and a one-off client issue may set the groundwork for a great long-term lawyer-client relationship. We get about 80% of our clients via word of mouth, so telling someone in need about us helps tremendously. 

3. Follow your lawyer’s social media pages.  Lawyers work hard to get their business out there. Show them you appreciate their hard work by following their professional accounts and engaging with their content. If you’re reading this, you probably are already, but go to Facebook, Linked-In, YouTube, and other platforms and give us a follow.  We’ll appear in your social media feed and you can help others get helpful information and assistance.  

4.  Once in awhile, say thank you to your lawyer and their team.  We know we’re handling some of the darkest times in your life.  And we are the voice and face of a system that is not pretty.  But a thank you, I appreciate, you and your team rock, goes a long way and gives any of us a boost and incentive to stay in the fight.  

Oh and if gifts are your love language, don’t hesitate to show your lawyer you care with a gift.  Following the advice of a wise friend and writer on the practice of law as a business, I have little tokens of appreciation from clients all over my office.  A hand made lighthouse clock, a coffee mug, a hand painted Yoda picture, a hand drawn portrait of one of my favorite presidents a Simpsons figure, a few hats, just to name the ones I can see scanning the room.  And my team and I love food, so feel free to drop us off handmade or store bought goodies.  

Lawyers play a crucial role in ensuring access to justice and upholding the rule of law. In doing so, they’re often subjected to stress, long hours, and complex cases and clients. Taking the time to recognize and show gratitude for lawyers’ hard work can go a long way in boosting morale. So Happy International Be Kind to Lawyers Day 2024 (and you know me, full disclosure there is a Love Your Lawyer Day in November too, but hey ready above tough gig).